"I will go before thee, and make the crooked places straight: I will break in pieces the gates of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron."
Isaiah 45:2
"You were amazing out there! Melanie and I had our moments of uncertainty, but you managed to emerge victorious. Well done, Tristan!" Stephanie beamed, nudging him.
The trio had returned to the overlook, watching the next fight unfold.
The aftermath of Tristan's fight was still on display: scorch marks spanning the floor and walls, chunks of rubble and debris scattered around. As usual, the display of abilities and techniques was mediocre in Tristan's eyes.
"Of course, I bested him. You expected me to fall to the likes of Colton Walter? He was but a lamb in the eyes of a wolf like myself." Tristan smirked, his eyes flashing proudly.
"Sure he was. A lamb that was kicking your white ass at the start of the fight. I dunno, man, but if you ask me, you kinda got lucky," Melanie added.
The demon slowly turned his gaze to her, his eyebrow slightly twitching.
This human.
"If your conclusion from that fight was that I achieved my victory through 'luck,' I might have overestimated your intelligence," Tristan replied.
The young lady looked at him with mild disdain, eyeing him from top to bottom.
"Where your clothes at—"
Stephanie cleared her throat audibly.
"Leave him be, Mel. He has earned his well-deserved rest. Besides, a new fight will be starting soon. We both have to be prepared," she finished.
Melanie grumbled to herself, diverting her gaze to the match display, only to be met by a shocking sight.
"Uhh, I think it's a little late for that, sis."
Stephanie followed her sister's gaze.
Boldly displayed on the screen were the next contestants: Melanie Brooks vs. Royal Vang.
For the first time, Melanie had nothing to say.
Tristan smirked to himself.
Something about the twins and the way they carried themselves made him anxious to see their abilities on display.
I hope I won't be disappointed.
Melanie slowly walked out of the waiting room and into the arena. She could feel the gaze of the other contestants on her. You got this girl. Time to rep the Brooks! The young woman inspected the weapons on display. It wasn't in her style to fight with any weapons, so she quickly got into the square to wait for her opponent.
The doors of the waiting area slowly opened. A tall, slender woman bathed in jewels emerged. She sported an emerald blouse, fitted black trousers, and knee-high boots.
"So you're my opponent? I have no idea what your abilities are, but you might as well forfeit," Royal said.
She sashayed past the weapon racks and into the square.
"And why is that? Because you said so?" Melanie scoffed.
Royal slightly covered her lips with her palm and laughed. "How strong are you, Miss Brooks?" she asked.
Melanie took a fighting stance, both hands raised in a guard, her right foot planted slightly ahead of her left.
"Time to find out, Royal." She grinned.
The two contestants stood in the centre of the square, opposite each other. The chatter from the audience slowly died out. The tension in the arena was so thick it could be sliced through with a knife.
"BEGIN!" the announcer yelled.
Melanie broke out into a sprint towards her opponent, caramel eyes glowing. Royal watched her advance, a smug smile spreading across her face. When she was in range, Melanie leaped forward and threw a punch at Royal's face.
Her neck jerked violently to the side as the attack landed. The impact echoed across the arena, earning murmurs and gasps from the crowd.
Melanie stared down at Royal, smiling to herself. Not what you expected, huh, bitch?
Royal turned to face Melanie. The young woman's eyes widened in shock.
What the—
To her utter surprise, Royal was completely unharmed from the attack.
"I'm going to ask you again, Miss Brooks: how strong are you? Because if that's all you have—"
Melanie lashed out with a jab, aiming to catch her opponent off guard. Light flashed suddenly as Royal's face was encased in translucent crystals. Pain flared around Melanie's knuckles, causing her to quickly withdraw.
"Resorting to cheap tricks already?" Royal sneered as she reached for Melanie, grabbing a fistful of her hair.
Royal yanked downward, causing Melanie's head to tilt and exposing her neck. Melanie grabbed Royal's wrist, trying to pry her hand away, but Royal held firm. With her free hand, Royal slapped Melanie across the cheek.
"Today, you are going to learn a valuable lesson, Miss Brooks," Royal sneered.
She punched Melanie square in the mouth, causing her to cry out. Blood began to slowly trickle from her lips. Still holding her hair, Royal grabbed Melanie by her shirt.
"Get out of my sight, weakling!"
With a heave, the tall woman flung Melanie across the arena, sending her skidding across the rough ground. The young woman hit the ground hard as dust and debris billowed around her until she finally came to a stop. Melanie groaned as she rolled to her side, coughing up dust. The arena floor had licked her skin, leaving cuts and bruises across her arms and feet. Why does every nigga have to have a better ability than me?
She dug her fingers into the dirt, dragging herself to her knees. Melanie didn't have any ranged abilities or techniques; everything she could do was fully dependent on how close she could get to her opponent. But from the exchange she just had with Royal, she couldn't afford to fight at close range.
I can't let her get close to me, period. C'mon, Mel, what would Stephanie do?
Royal slowly began to walk towards her, still sporting her cocky grin. "I've given you time to rest and think about the offer I made you. For the last time, spare yourself this torment and forfeit this round," she said.
Melanie coughed, wiping blood from her lips with the back of her hand. I have to get through her defenses somehow. But I need to get close to use my ability. So what do I do?
Royal was now directly in front of her, her slender frame towering over her menacingly.
"So what will it be, Miss Brooks? Will you forfeit, or do I need to break every single bone in your body until I'm stopped by the officials?" Royal sneered.
Melanie lowered her gaze, dejection surrounding her like a shroud. Royal shook her head. It's over; she's out of it.
Melanie suddenly raised her gaze, delivering a straight punch to Royal's nether regions. The bones in her knuckles groaned in pain as her fist made contact with the surprisingly hard surface.
"Oh, c'mon! Your cooch is crystal as well? That's not fair!" Melanie protested.
Royal responded with a stomp to Melanie's face. The young woman fell flat on her back. Dazed, she quickly rolled onto her stomach and attempted to crawl away. The familiar smell of copper greeted her nostrils, accompanied by the throbbing pain of her broken nose.
"You have no class, Melanie! So now I'll treat you as such!" Royal spat. Crystals spread across Royal's arms, encasing them in a layer of protection. With one hand, she grabbed Melanie by the ankle, her hardened fingers digging into her flesh. Melanie winced in pain and kicked at Royal with her free foot. The attacks carried no weight behind them, barely ruffling Royal's clothes.
It's over. I failed.
Royal flung Melanie across the arena. This time she was sent flying out of the square, her back erupting in pain as she slammed into the arena wall. The air was violently knocked out of her lungs. Melanie began to wheeze, dark spots dancing around her vision. I can't win.
In the corner of her vision, she could faintly see the gleam of the glass overlook. She couldn't make out their faces clearly, but she could see two figures watching her from behind the glass. Sorry, Steph. Looks like you have to rep the Brooks all by yourself.
"What the fuck is she doing?" Stephanie ran her hands frantically through her braids.
Tristan watched the young woman's reaction in amusement. "What is she expected to do? The disparity in their abilities was made clear at the start of the round; your sister cannot win," Tristan said bluntly.
Stephanie got closer to the glass, still staring at her sister's beaten figure. "You're wrong, Tristan. I know Melanie as if she were me and I was her. She's stronger than this. And even if what you said is true, how can you judge the strength of her ability if you haven't even seen it?" Stephanie asked.
The demon was about to dismiss her as biased and emotional when he stopped himself. Haven't seen it? Could it be this foolish Seraphite hasn't used her ability yet? He couldn't believe it. Tristan assumed she had a weak ability that boosted her physicality and constitution.
Tristan turned his attention to Melanie. "Your sister. What ability does she possess?" he asked.
Stephanie ignored him completely, placing her hand against the glass, her eyes still fixed on her sister. I don't know what you're thinking, Mel. But you can fucking do this! Don't give up without trying. I can't do this without you!
Unbeknownst to her, the spot on the glass where Stephanie had placed her hand began to slowly light up. The glass began to hiss as it heated up. Tristan sensed this immediately and grabbed her hand, pulling it from the glass. Stephanie turned to him, confusion clouding her visage till she saw the imprint on the glass.
"You intend to melt the glass and help your sister?" Tristan asked.
Stephanie shook her head. "I briefly lost control of my powers. I'm sorry," she said, turning her attention back to the fight.
Tristan stared at her for a moment and shook his head. Humans and their feeble, meaningless attachments. He would never understand them.
Meanwhile, Melanie had noticed a slight distortion in the glass. Oh, Steph. She could already imagine her sister pacing around, fiddling with her pearls. Melanie smiled to herself weakly.
"What's so funny, Melanie? Did you enjoy getting tossed around the arena? You want another go?" Royal sneered. She was now standing over Melanie. The injured woman had her back to a wall, literally.
What would Stephanie do? As far as she was concerned, she was nothing more than a blunt instrument. She did everything according to how Stephanie said it should be done, and it had never failed her. Her sister was always around to guide her, even before their powers awakened. She taught her how to harness her ability and fight with it. But against Royal, would they even work? Is it even worth trying?
"Yo, could you back up a bit?" Melanie groaned weakly.
Surprisingly, Royal stepped away from her, giving her enough space to drag herself to her feet. She casually brushed a speck of dust from her emerald blouse. "That gesture was the last of my patience, Melanie," Royal said.
Melanie slowly raised her hands to form a guard, taking her fighting stance again. Her legs wobbled, and her vision was failing her. She could feel her bones groaning and creaking from the beating she had taken. It was taking every bit of willpower not to slump back down into the well of despair she just crawled out from. I don't know if my powers will be of any use here; I doubt it. I don't know what Steph would do here as well since I am not her. But one thing I know is Stephanie wouldn't give up without trying everything in her arsenal. And that is exactly what I am going to do! If her sister hadn't given up on her, why should she give up on herself?
"Why are you punishing yourself, Melanie?" Royal asked. "You're already spent. I don't want to humiliate you any further." The tall woman brushed more debris off her blouse, barely glancing at Melanie.
Melanie let out a weak chuckle. "Humiliate me? You have not been able to finish off someone who is yet to use their ability."
On hearing this, Royal's body froze. Her entire demeanor slowly changed: a frown covered her visage. The crystals surrounding her hands began to thicken, forming an even denser layer of protection. Without warning, Royal lunged at her, throwing a punch straight at her temple. Here goes nothing. Melanie extended her right hand, catching the attack in her palm. The force behind the attack suddenly disappeared.
Royal watched in shock as her diamond-coated fist came to a complete stop against Melanie's palm. "What? How!" she screamed in anger. Royal tried yanking her hand back, but Melanie's palm held firm. It was like Melanie's hand had become a vacuum, sucking the force out of Royal's attack.
The injured woman smiled mischievously, flashing her blood-stained teeth. It actually worked.
"You've had all the fun. Now it's my turn."